Cooking utensil.



EMIL SCHMID, OF TWINING CITY, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

COOKING UTENSIL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentedoet. 7,1913.

Application led April 13, 1912. Serial No. 690,635.

, To all-whom t may concern.'

exact description of the invention, such as will-enable others skilledin the art towhich itlappertains tomake and use the same.

' My invention relates to cooking utensils,

but has particular reference to improved means for coo-king boned ham,shoulders of pork or other meats, and has for its object the productionof a simple, efficient, and economical apparatus designed and adapted topreserve all of the meat juices and flavors during the process ofcooking, to increase its nutritious value as an article of food, tospeedily and effectually compress the meat previous to cooking therebyclosing the space formerly occupied by bone, to maintain i'tundersuitable pressure during the process of cooking without resorting to thetedious and uncertain method of eording or binding with twine, toprevent shrinkage of the meat after cooking, to prevent the water inwhich the boiling or cooking occurs from coming in contact with the meator robbing it of its flavor, and to render the cooked product moreconvenient and economical for carving.

To these and other uses the present invention is adapted, but the usefor which it is especially designed is that of cooking boned ham andshoulders of pork so as to retain them in convenient form for handling,and to preserve their juices and aroma.

' The invention will be hereinafter particularly described and pointedout in the claims following, the process of cooking a ham previouslyboned being set forthas an exemplicationof its uses.

In the accompanying drawings which form part of this application andwhereon corresponding reference numerals indicate like parts in theseveral views: Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the inventionclosed and ready for` use. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectiontaken centrally through the structure. Fig. 3 is a top plan View thecentral compression ratchet bar being in section. Fig. 4 is a detailedsectional view showing a form of lap joint for the cylindrical body ofcooker. Fig. 5 is aside elevation partly in section of an operatingtool. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in side,

elevation showing one end of said tool in operat1ve position, and Fig; 7is a plan of the tool parts shown by Fig. 6.

Reference being had to the drawings and numerals thereon, 1 indicates ameat receptacle or coo-ker preferably of sheet metal and of cylindricalform its longitudinal edges being connected by an ordinary lap seamjoint 2 such as shown by Fig. 4. At its lower end the receptacle 1 isprovided with an interior shoulder annular iange or offset 3 upon whichrests a removable bottom closure 4 conforming in shape to the interiorof receptacle 1 and preferably of cast iron having downwardly projectingcross webs or flanges 5, 5 for strengthening purposes. Within the meatreceptacle 1 is a vertically movable plunger 6, also 'by preference ofcast iron, -having a slightly concaved under surface 7 and an upstandingannular flange 8 serving to guide the plunger by contact with theinterior walls of the receptacle 1, While at its center this plunger isprovided with an integral boss 9 having a surface depression 10 thereinfor purposes which will later appear. To the upper edgeof receptacle lis secured an exterior top ring 11, andupon this rests a flanged topcover 12, also preferably vofcast iron reinforced upon its upper surfaceby cross webs or flanges 13, 18, and having integral therewith a hollowboss 14 of rectangular form bordering on aperture 15 through the centerthereof, the said flanges merging into a pair of parallel upstandinglugs 16, 16 as best shown by Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings. As a meansof removably securing top cover or closure 12 in position upon the upperend of receptacle 1 lock wings 17 17 are employed at pointsdiametrically opposite, same being pivotally secured to the surroundingtop ring 11 and adapted, when turned horizontally, to close over theedges of cover 12 as shown by Figs. 1 and 3. Projecting downwardlythrough aperture 15 is a double ratchet bar or presser bar 18 having twosets of ratchet teeth 19 and 2O upon opposite edges thereof, a handle 21at its upper end and a conical lower end 22 bearing in depression 10 ofthe plunger 6 aforesaid. And it will be noted that aperture 15 throughthe center of cover 12 is of greater cross sectional area than that ofthe ratchet bar projecting upward through said aperture, therebypermitting Athe ready Withdrawal of said ratchet bar forcibly depressingthe ratchet bar 18, this lever by preference is of wrought or malleableiron comprising a handle 27, an angular depending portion 28 and abifurcated operating end 29 terminating 1n a pa1r of hooks 30, 30adapted when in use tostraddle the ratchet bar 18 and fulcrum this leverbeneath the projecting ends of the pawl pin 23` as shown by Fig. 6.Between the bifurcated members 29 of lever 26 is pivoted a push pawlcomprising a base'or body portion 31 and a pair of oppositely disposeduprising angular ears 32, 32 by which it is pivotallay connected upono-pposltc. sides, thereby allowing clearance for the ratchetbar 18 whenlever 26 is elevated to its upper* most` position as in Fig. 6 of thedrawings. Vhile as shown by Fig. 5 the said push pawl 31 isnormally'retained in operative position by a leaf spring 33 bearing uponthe rear end thereof and in turn securely fastened to the angulardepending portion 28 of the lever 26.

This being a description of my invention its operation when applied tothe cooking of ham, for example, from which the bone has been removed issubstantially asl follows: The bottom closure 4 being first intro--duced into the cylindrical receptacle 1 as indicated by Fig. 2, isfollowed by the meat a. to be cooked, .upon this in like manner isplaced the plunger 6. The top cover or closure 12 is next secured uponthe upper edge of said receptacle -by agency of the lock wings 17, 17,the ratchet bar 18 being introduced through aperture 15 with itslowermost end 22 resting in the central plunger depression or pocket 10.In this relation of parts it will be seen that ratchet pawl 24 engagesone set of teeth 19 on the ratchet bar 18, and force applied to handle21 partially compresses the meat :v below plunger 6 in a speedy andexpeditious manner. When additional compression is required,/ the hookends 30, 30 of hand lever 26 are engaged beneath ends of the pawl pin 23with the spring pressed push pawl 31 in position to engage teeth 2O ofthe ratchet bar, whereupon repeated movement of said lever 26, by agencyof its pawl`31, serves to quickly depress said ratchet bar and plungerto the desired extent, any accidental upward or retrograde movementbeing positively prevented by action of the ratchet pawl 24 asaforesaid. rI his accomplished, the entire utensil wlth lts contents ispractically submerged in a suitable waterfilled boiler, the temperaturevralsed to the boiling point and there maintained for period of timesutlicient to insure the thorough.cooking of the meat w, whereafter 1tis removed by a reversal of the operation heretofore described. Duringthis operation it. will be noted that all jo-ints between the interiorof receptacle 1, its bottom closure 4, and the plunger 6 are eectuallysealed by compression of the meat in process of cooking, so that noliquid isadmitted to dilute the natural juices thereof, nor is thecharacteristic avor of the meat lost by evaporation or otherwise.

It will be noted further that meat cookers of the character hereinbeforedescribed are generally used in large numbers in preparing meats forcommercial purposes, a large boiler (not shown) being employed inconnection; and, for this reason-it is important that means be providedfor speedily charging, closing and opening the individual receptacles.For this reason also experience has demonstrated the advantages of anoperating hand lever, such as that herein shown and described,l havingan upwardly extending angular portion 28 to facilitate operating cookerswhich may be centrally positioned in the boiler, and which can only bereached over those intervening.

Having thus described the present invention,its use and operation itshould be understood that various changes in form and construction ofparts may be made and substituted for those hereinbefore set forthwithout in the least departing from the spirit of the invention. Forexample, while a cylindrical structure is shown it is obvious thatsquare or fanciful shapes may be assumed by the meat receptacle withoutmaterially altering its operation or impairing its usefulness.

What I claim therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a cooking utensil the combination with a meat receptacle, of aplunger within said receptacle, a removable double ratchet bar bearingloosely upon the plunger aforesaid, a removable cover for saidreceptacle broken by an aperture of greater cross sec# tional area thanthe greatest cross sectional `.area of the ratchet bar projecting upwardtherethrough, a lever-fulcrum carried' by said cover, a removable handlever provided with means for engaging thesaid fulcrum and also withmeans for engaging one ysset of ratchet bar teeth tov forcibly depresssaid bar, and a ratchet pawl upon the cover aforesaid for engaging thesecond set of ratchet bar teeth and when so engaged to prevent upwardmovement thereof.

2. In a cooking utensil the combination lwith a meat receptacle, of aplunger Within said receptacle, a removable double faced ratchet barbearing loosely upon the plunger aforesaid, a removable cover for saidreceptacle broken by an aperture of greater cross sectional area thanthe greatest cross sectional area of the ratchet bar projecting upwardtherethrough, a removable hand lever fulcrumed upon the cover aforesaidand provided With a paivl for engaging one set of teeth upon saidratchet bar to forcibly depress the bar, and a ratchet pawl upon thereceptacle cover for engaging the other set of ratchet bar teeth `andwhen so engaged to prevent upward movement thereof.

' 3. In a cooking utensil the combination with a meat receptacle havinga top cover adapted to be secured thereon and a removable bottom, of aplunger Within said receptacle, a double ratchet bar passing looselythrough the cover and bearing upon the plunger aforesaid, a pair of.parallel lugs rising from said receptacle cover, a pavvl pin connectingsaid lugs and projecting upon both sides thereof, a ratchet pavvl uponsaid pin adapted to engage one set of ratchet bar teeth to preventupward movement, a bifurcated hand lever adapted to fulcrum beneath theprojecting ends of said pawl pin, and a paWl pivotally secured betweenthe bifurcated members of the lever aforesaid so as to engage the secondset of ratchet bar teeth to forcibly depress the ratchet bar. 4. In acooking utensil the combination with a meat receptacle, of a plungerwithin said receptacle, a removable presser bar bearing loosely upon theplunger aforesaid and provided with ratchet teeth, a removable cover forsaid receptacle brokenby an aperture of greater cross sectional areathan the greatest cross sectional area of the said presser barprojecting upward therethrough, a lever-fulcrum carried by said cover, adetached hand lever provided with means for engaging said fulcrum andalso with means for engaging said presser bar to forcibly depress it,and a ratchet pawl upon the cover aforesaid for engaging teeth upon thepresser bar and when so engaged to prevent upward movement thereof.

5. In a cooking utensil the combination with a meat-receptacle, of aplunger Within said receptacle, a removable presser bar bearing looselyupon the plunger aforesaid, a. removable cover for said receptaclebroken by an aperture of greater cross sectional area than the greatestcross sectional area of the presser bar projecting upward therethrough,a lever-fulcrum carried by said cover, a detached hand-lever providedwith means for engaging said fulcrum and also with means for engagingsaid presser bar to forcibly depress it, and a detent carried by thereceptacle cover for engaging the presser bar to prevent accidentalupward movement thereof.

In testimonywhereof I alix my signture, iu presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

EMIL SCHMID. Witnesses IVM. E. DYRE, CHARLES LOWELL HOWARD.

